The Separate Season
by traLane
Summary: Kryptonite is one of the only things that can separate Clark from his wife, and now Lois is infected. Who is trying to drive a wedge between them? What will they sacrifice for the holidays to get back together? Cover image by Liesel at Kryptsonsite.
1. Chapter 1  Shocking

**THE SEPARATE SEASON**

Summary: Kryptonite is one of the only things that can separate Clark from his wife, and now Lois is infected. Who is trying to drive a wedge between them? What will they sacrifice for the holidays to get back together?

This fic was inspired by Briee's magnificent short story, "The Way You Touch Me." It is NOT a sequel but just an exploration of the idea…

Clois Angst and Romance; T for Teen

Post Season 10

_**One - Shocking**_

_**Metropolis, December 21, 2018**_

The young woman standing in front of her was polished and sophisticated, the kind Lex Luthor loved to hire. Lois Lane-Kent couldn't help but notice that her attire blended perfectly with the large silver and gold bells placed strategically throughout the building. The oversized decorations were probably designed to make the inside of the building appear festive, but Lois thought they looked plastic, just like the woman running things.

"Ladies and gentlemen, if you'll follow me, I'll show you Lexcorp's latest technological breakthrough…"

Lois winced. Against the background of canned, elevator Christmas music, the press agent's voice sounded shrill. After rubbing her ears a little, she tried once again to focus.

"…sure everyone receives enough food to feed their families this holiday season."

At the sound of several "oohs" and "aahs" from the crowd, Lois rolled her eyes. "You've got to be kidding me," she muttered none too softly to her photographer.

Jimmy, or "Junior" as Lois often called him, jumped in surprise and looked around, shrugging apologetically at some of the other reporters glaring at Lois. She smiled sweetly back and, when the media mob started following Lexcorp's press agent, Lois punched Jimmy in the arm.

"Ouch," he exclaimed under his breath. "What was that for?"

"Don't ever apologize," Lois whispered loudly. "You work for the Daily Planet … and we print the truth… NOT this public relations bull-"

Pressed from behind by the crowd, Lois dug in her heals and stood firm in the middle of the hall. A wide-eyed Jimmy stopped as well and took the opportunity to massage his arm. Some of the other reporters grumbled as they crowded past, trying to follow the press agent.

"Hey, Lane," commented Jack Fields from the Inquisitor. "Give the kid a lecture somewhere else-"

"Back off, Jack," Lois retorted sharply, now fighting to move against the crowd. She watched with narrowed eyes as the bearded man raised his hands in the air in surrender.

From somewhere else she heard the voice of a reporter from the Ledger. "Ignore her. She's just cranky because Superman hasn't been around lately… she's obviously missing some superhero 'action.'"

A few of the surrounding reporters sniggered in response and Lois glared daggers at them. She'd gotten used to the rumors of being Superman's girlfriend over the years, but she liked to nip them in the bud when she could. It was best that everyone saw Clark Kent and Superman as completely separate.

_If they only knew…_

Lois rolled her eyes. It was time for her to get to the real story.

"Fine, follow Luthor to fairy land," She waved in the general direction of the group trailing Luthor's plastic press agent. "Some of us have _real news_ to write." With that, she grabbed Jimmy's arm and strolled away from the crowd as quickly as she could in pencil skirt and heels. At the look in her eyes, the sea of reporters parted, letting her move to the end of the hall where she turned a corner and stopped.

With a bewildered-looking Jimmy standing by, Lois looked briefly around and smiled, adjusting her glasses. No one was paying attention to the "Mad Dog" now. They were all used to her storming off in a huff.

She turned to Jimmy. "Follow me… and try to look like you don't know where you're going," Lois mumbled under her breath.

"But I don't know where I'm going," the young man practically groaned.

"Good," Lois told him, ignoring the look of confusion on his face. She headed in the direction given to her by her source, trying to look lost. Occasionally she rattled a door handle. When she was sure they were getting close to her destination, she stopped.

"I was sure this was the way to the exit," she said loudly to a still confused Jimmy.

"But, Ms. Lane-" he exclaimed, starting to point in another direction. "I think the exit is that-"

"Jimmy," Lois interrupted. "That can't be right," she interrupted with a shake of her head. "No, I'm sure it's this way."

Turning one last corner Lois stopped and put her hand to an unnumbered door. "This is it," she muttered to herself. Motioning with her hand, she kept her voice low and her back to the security cameras. "Jimmy, see if there's someone down there and, if there is, keep him busy."

"Oh, okay," he agreed, a look of understanding coming to his eyes.

Lois smiled with relief. Her photographer was starting to catch on. She spoke a little louder for the cameras. "I'll see if someone in this office is available while you look down that way."

Jimmy's nod was a little overdone, Lois thought, but he headed down the hall like he knew what he was doing.

_Good kid. _

As he walked away he looked so much like his older brother that Lois couldn't help but remember with a twinge of sadness. Quickly she pushed aside the memories, blaming her sentiment on the holidays. Now was not the time for a stroll down memory lane.

_Keep your head in the game, Lois._

Turning back, she made a show of knocking on the door, not expecting anyone to answer. Surreptitiously, she reached into the waistband of her skirt and removed the pass key she'd gotten from her source. Positioning herself so the camera couldn't pick up what she was doing, she swiped it, turned the handle and strolled inside.

Let Lex think his security was bad. It wasn't that far from the truth.

"Hello?"

No one answered and Lois felt that thrill, the rush that always went through her when she was on the hunt for a story. Man, she needed this right now.

Adrenalin pumping, she moved further into the lab and looked around. Inside the large room was a glass-enclosed laboratory standing empty. Lois wasn't surprised. Lex had probably closed the lab so it could be locked while the press was being escorted around other parts of this floor.

Using a second pass key, she let herself inside and studied the giant glass tube that ran from ceiling to floor. According to her source, that's where the experiment was housed… so why was there something that looked like sand swirling inside?

"Crap," she muttered under her breath, searching for any hints of green. She couldn't see any.

Where was the refined Kryptonite?

Her source, one of the many meteor infected from Smallville, came to the Planet as soon as she realized that her husband was illegally working with meteor rock as an employee of Lexcorp. She'd given Lois all of the information she could hoping, that the Planet could shut down the experiments. A few years ago, meteor rock had been declared a "hazardous" material after victims of the meteor showers came forward to talk about the adverse affects of exposure. Lexcorp wasn't licensed to work with the green rock.

Lois had immediately jumped on the story. She didn't want Lex Luthor or his employees anywhere near Kryptonite.

_If he found out about Superman's weakness_…

Just the thought made Lois sick to her stomach. She would do anything to protect her husband, especially from Luthor.

Quickly powering up the closest computer, she pulled out her phone and searched for her notes. When the screen prompted her, she entered the password she'd been given, held her breath, and waited.

Lois breathed a sigh of relief when the icons appeared on screen. She was in. If she couldn't get the substance maybe she could get the documents. Clicking as fast as she could, she opened several files until she found the one that looked promising. Plugging in her phone, she hit the "save to" button and watched for the transfer of information.

While she waited, Lois felt her foot tap the floor impatiently. Nervously, she started humming along with the piano version of "Blue Christmas" playing in the background. When she realized what she was doing, she shook her head, thoughts turning to Clark. If he were here, he'd tell her to calm down. She'd tell him to shove it, and then he'd smile and lightly touch her arm.

At just the memory Lois felt her foot still. Her heart-rate slowed and her breathing calmed. Her eyes seemed to close of their own volition, and Lois marveled at the fact that after all this time her husband's touch could calm her…

Or send her heart racing.

_Clark stood next to her, his hand softly traveling up her arm to her shoulder. His fingers stilled on her neck and then his thumb started rubbing tenderly along the sensitive area beneath her ear. Her body tingled. An involuntary shiver went through her._

Her eyes snapped open.

This was ridiculous. Clark had only been gone for a couple of weeks. Still, it wasn't the length of time. It was the fact that he was completely cut off from her at the Fortress… and she missed him.

Her body missed him. She wanted to get back to working on her latest dream… and she needed him for that. Just the thought of success sent her heart to singing. She sucked in a deep breath.

_Soon… he'd be home soon_.

A low beep caught her attention and she checked the monitor. Almost half the data was downloaded. Her foot started tapping against the floor again as she looked around. Her gut was telling her this was too easy. Impatient now, she checked the monitor again.

The transfer was complete.

Lois felt a smug smile form as she reached for her phone and pulled it from the console. Her smile disappeared when an ear-piercing alarm sounded in the little room. She jumped, her heart returning to its frantic pace.

Cursing under her breath, she threw her phone into her bag and ran for the door. Before she could get there, she felt a whirlwind behind her. She couldn't resist looking and cringed when she spotted the tube in the center of the room opening, letting out the swirling sand.

Using her hand, Lois covered her nose and mouth with the collar of her coat and closed her eyes. She'd been through sand storms before. Dropping to the ground, she tried to make her way blindly on one hand and her knees. With her bag clutched tightly she inched forward in the direction of the exit.

The wind blew furiously and the sand felt harsh against her skin. Her hair came undone from its up-do and whipped around her face. In just a few seconds, she couldn't see and couldn't breathe. Her head hit the glass wall and she reached out blindly in an effort to find the door. The wind blew harder and it seemed as if all the oxygen was being depleted. Lois gave up trying to find the opening and tightened her coat around her nose and mouth, fighting for breath.

The air didn't seem to be there. Her lungs burned. Her body seemed to be covered with sand. When the wind died down, she barely felt it. Strangely, she thought she heard the sound of a low laugh right before she lost consciousness.

_**Fortress, Same time**_

The ache went deep into his bones. Clark tried to ignore it, along with the nausea that threatened. He took a shaky step closer to the glowing green rock and felt his blood boil.

"Mind over matter, my son." Jor-El's voice was jarring to Clark's exposed nerves. His teeth ground together at the sound.

Moving quickly and quietly in his white training suit, he closed in on the piece of glowing rock and, using a Klukor move, he thrust the rock away while driving his body in the opposite direction. Before either stopped, Clark had directed his heat-vision at the Kryptonite and incinerated it.

The relief was immediate. Clark stopped his momentum and planted his feet on the ground. No longer sweating, feeling stronger every second, he held himself erect and waited.

"You have improved, Kal-El."

Clark didn't acknowledge the compliment. "Again?" he asked, getting himself into position. When the Fortress remained silent, he didn't relax, knowing that surprise was part of this exercise. "Jor-El?"

It was silent for almost a full minute. "Your training is complete."

Clark's eyes widened with surprise. Only years of self-restraint kept him from pumping his fist in the air and speeding directly home. He hated being separated so completely from Lois during these training periods.

Knowing it was expected, Clark ended the session with a formal bow. "Thank you, Jor-El."

"You were wise to continue your training, Kal-El."

Clark didn't reply. They both knew it wasn't wisdom but near defeat at the hands of the Kandorians that brought Clark to the Fortress periodically to finish his training.

Five years ago, Lex Luthor uncovered an old Luthorcorp project, in the process of trying to recover his past. When he attempted to resurrect it he released some part of Brainiac. The computer's programming immediately led it to the Fortress, where it managed to open a gateway to the Phantom Zone and Zod. Unfortunately, Zod didn't come back alone and the resulting battle almost destroyed Metropolis and seriously injured Superman.

Following his recovery, Clark had been forced to face the facts. If he wanted to protect the planet, he needed to learn about Krypton, as well as other worlds and cultures. The amount of study and training needed was extensive, so Clark made the decision to dedicate time to it a few weeks out of every year.

This latest round was the longest yet. Even working without sleep, it had taken time for him to learn the fighting techniques of Klukor and Horu-Kanu.

The training had been effective, at least. He felt stronger than he had before.

Walking to the console area, Clark rearranged the crystals, inserting a smaller one into the chamber to check the passage of time. When the display appeared, it was a shock. It was only a few days before Christmas. He'd been gone for over two weeks.

His training had never taken him from Lois for so long.

Just the thought of his wife brought to mind the memory of their last morning together. His eyes closed at the memory where he could still envision her passion-filled gaze and see her hair spread out in a mass of soft curls. He could feel her soft and silky skin pressed up against his own and hear her gasps and moans of pleasure.

She was so responsive and, oh, how he loved to touch her.

_As they lay in bed his hand softly traveled up her arm to her shoulder. His fingers stilled on her neck and then his thumb started rubbing tenderly along the sensitive area beneath her ear. He waited for the shiver that went through her body and felt that sense of wonder when it did. After all this time, she responded immediately to his touch. With a rush, his body hardened in response. He rolled her toward him, wanting to make sure she remembered this while he was gone…_

Clark's eyes popped open when he realized he was sweating. This was ridiculous. His body was reacting to her mere memory.

He sucked in a deep, shaky breath.

_Soon… he'd be home soon._

Impatient now, his visions driving him to be close to his wife, he arranged the crystals into a stasis pattern, spun into his Superman outfit and lifted into the air. Outside the Fortress, he shot to the sky.

The cold wind against his face felt refreshing. Again, he considered the amount of time away and realized that Christmas was fast approaching. He smiled at the thought. While Lois never made a big deal about Christmas, she was like a kid when it came to presents.

It would have to be something special this year. Maybe when he got home he could find out what had been on her mind lately. Before this latest round of training, he'd catch her daydreaming but, when he'd ask her about it, she'd change the subject.

He was considering the possibilities when he heard the scream just outside Metropolis. Immediately he changed direction, heading toward the sound with a resigned sigh.

The same thing seemed to happen every time he was in a hurry_._

Looking below, he used his long-distance vision and spotted a blue truck speeding toward a sharp curve in the road without stopping. By x-raying the cab he could see the woman driver frantically hitting the brakes. The truck wasn't stopping.

With a blast of air, Superman rushed down and got his hands on the tailgate before the vehicle reached the edge of the road. He applied the necessary pressure and got it stopped at the edge of a dense group of oak trees. Unfortunately, the suddenness of the stop was enough to send the woman's head into the dash of the older model pickup.

Concerned with her welfare, he ran around to the driver's side door and opened it. "Are you all right, ma'am?"

The driver turned and he could see a small cut across her forehead. "I'm okay," she muttered. At the sound of her voice, Superman examined the woman's face more closely.

_There was something familiar_…

She had reddish-brown hair, worn down to her shoulders. Her body was a little on the plump side and her face was pleasant and round. She covered the cut on her forehead with one hand while stepping out of the truck.

"Watch it," Superman reached out to steady her when she wavered on her feet. "Are you sure you should be getting up right now?"

She steadied herself and looked him right in the eyes. In Superman mode, Clark kept the polite smile on his face to cover the shock. He recognized this woman now. She'd gone to high school with him. Her name was…

_What was her name_?

The last time he'd seen her had been about seventeen years ago when she'd gone on some kind of Kryptonite-induced diet and tried to kill Pete Ross.

"Superman?"

Clark tensed at the look of adoration in her eyes. It was a common enough response, especially from women, but he could never get used to it. He looked more closely and relaxed when he didn't see any recognition on the woman's face.

_What was her name?_

"Thank you… thank you so much!" She was absolutely gushing now and Superman stepped away from her a little.

"I can't believe… I can't believe it's you," she said, raising a shaky hand to her forehead. "Whoa," she said. "Maybe I should sit down." She backed up and rested her legs against the seat of the pickup. The look she gave Superman was a little dazed. "I need to get to Metropolis."

"Maybe we should call an ambulance or get the police-"

"No!" The woman shook her head and then groaned. "I mean, I just really need to get to the city. It's important."

Superman quickly examined her truck. "I don't think you're going to be able to get there in your pickup." He kept his expression passive. "Is there someone you can call?"

The woman tried to shake her head again and winced. Without a word she reached into the cab behind her and grabbed a phone. Superman waited patiently, wanting to make sure the woman had some assistance before he left.

"Hello… Lois?" The woman inquired quietly, turning her back on her rescuer. "I know… second time I've called… getting worried… story."

At the name Lois and the word "story," Clark felt his heart start pounding. He tuned in his super hearing. "The brakes went out on my truck just now and, well, I need to talk to you. Call me when you get this message."

When the woman turned back around Superman smiled, while adjusting his hearing to bring his wife's heartbeat to the forefront. Having learned how to tune into it a few years ago, he kept it with him, paying attention only to any dramatic changes in rhythm. At the Fortress he'd tuned in only periodically but now… he couldn't hear her.

His own heart started pounding. What had happened?

The possibilities were endless. His wife hadn't slowed down one bit. She could be in any kind of trouble. Just the thought made him all the more anxious to get to her.

That's when he remembered the woman's name… Jodi Melville. She'd been a nice girl but had lost control after starting a diet based of vegetables fertilized with meteor rock. He was pretty sure she'd also been one of the witnesses to testify in favor of labeling Kryptonite a "hazardous" material.

Anxious to get to Metropolis, he lifted off the ground. "Are you going to be okay?"

Jodi nodded and placed another call, this time to a family friend asking for a ride. He was surprised when she asked that the friend not to tell her husband, but shrugged it off.

When the ride was confirmed Superman waved and lifted off the ground. With is super hearing still activated, he could hearing Lois' voice on the other end. He stopped in mid-air.

"Jodi?" When the woman in the truck answered in the affirmative, a clearly irritated Lois continued. "Sounds like we've had the same kind of day. What do you say we meet another time?"

Superman didn't wait for Jodi's answer. He wasn't interested in invading her privacy, just making sure that Lois was okay. Having done that, he was anxious to get to his wife. If she'd had the same kind of day as Jodi… well, it probably wasn't a good one.

_**Daily Planet, twenty minutes later**_

Shivering, Lois tightened the scarf around her neck and waited impatiently for her husband to arrive. A part of her was disappointed that he was returning as Superman, even though she understood the reason. After all, it was her rule that Clark and Superman never depart or return on the same day.

She checked her phone again, just to make sure.

_Roof in fifteen. S_

Her heart started pounding with excitement… he was almost here.

Still, a part of her wished it was Clark who was coming. His soothing presence in the office would be welcome right now. She sighed. Her plans for a breaking story this morning had backfired and in a big way.

After she'd been found by a worried Jimmy and security, Lexcorp had called an ambulance. The manager had apologized profusely for what must have been an "equipment malfunction," while the plastic press girl lectured her in a gracious but firm voice, expressing her concerns that Lois had gotten "lost" and reminding her that the reporters were told not to "wonder off on their own." With half the media in Metropolis there, Lois' story soon became the focus of their attention and she barely hid her grimace as cameras clicked all around her. Perry was going to kill her.

To make things worse, when Lois returned to the Planet and plugged her phone into her computer, a virus swept through her data, wiping out everything on her hard drive and in her phone.

Perry was furious, his screaming almost incomprehensible. Lois caught, "Report the news, don't make it," and something about "cost too much" before he added "going to be the death of me" and finished with a "Great Caesar's Ghost!"

Normally Perry's rants didn't bother Lois but she'd blown it this morning and she knew it. She hated when that happened.

The familiar rustle and flap of a cape in the wind brought her out of the thoughts of the morning and she smiled. Turning slowly, she looked at her husband standing tall in his cape and tights. Her smile froze and she felt her breath catch.

_Absence must make the eyes grow fonder…_

He looked magnificent.

Had he always been so tall and confident?

Lois couldn't help but study him. He was a little thinner but that was typical after training. This time there was something more. A closer look at his face gave her the answer. His expression radiated control. Whatever training he'd endured had made him feel more secure.

Her body reacted immediately.

She didn't want to wait for his signal. Finally catching his eyes, she tried to convey her impatience but felt her knees go weak at the look in the deep blue of his.

"Ms. Lane," he greeted, his husky voice sending little shock waves through her. She waited with baited breath for him to give her the all clear, but then his brow furrowed with confusion.

"Superman?" She asked softly.

He took a step toward her and gasped, stumbling back in surprise. "Lois?"

Now she was really concerned. Superman never called her by her first name unless he was sure no one was around to hear or see… another one of her rules. "What is it?" Lois asked, stopping in her tracks.

"I don't know," he said under his breath, taking another cautious step back. If Lois hadn't been watching so closely, she might have missed the little stumble that accompanied the movement. "Feels like… Kryptonite." When his eyes met hers Lois could see the pain in them, and her heart constricted.

Slightly panicked, she looked all around the roof, and when she didn't find anything, started searching her pockets.

Could she have picked up something at Lexcorp?

In the meantime, Clark took another step back and breathed a little easier. Whatever was affecting him was coming from her direction, he was sure of it. His recent training increased his awareness of Kryptonite until his ability to pinpoint it had become more accurate. Concentrating on the effect, he moved a little to the right and forward.

The pain was immediate. It was coming from Lois.

While he watched her frantically dig through her pockets, he took a step away, opened his hearing, and looked around. There didn't seem to be anyone watching or listening but he wasn't sure how effective his powers were right now. The Kryptonite was weakening him.

He decided to trust his instincts anyway. "What happened today, Lois?"

She stopped searching and her eyes met his. The look in them was anguished… and a little guilty. "I… I went to Lexcorp for a press conference." Her eyes dropped as she dug into her pants pockets again. "I had a source… she told me that Lex was working with, uhm, meteor rock." When she looked back up, Clark could see the frustration in her eyes. "I had the pass key, got into the lab, and then everything went to crap."

Clark felt his own eyes narrow with suspicion. Luthor was working with Kryptonite? That wasn't good. Lex blamed Superman for the Kandorian attack. If he found out that Superman had a weakness…

At the look on Clark's face, Lois stepped forward in concern. Clark couldn't hold back a hiss of pain. She stopped immediately, her expression turning distraught.

"What's happening?" This stress made her voice higher.

Still wondering if Luthorcorp's work was a coincidence, Superman kept his movements casual as he moved away. He put his head down as if he was concentrating and spoke softly. If anyone was watching – like one of Lex's people - it would appear that he was simply thinking while keeping a respectful distance from Lois.

_Just as well_.

Looking at his wife was too tempting. Even with the threat of Kryptonite between them, he couldn't get his mind off their last morning together...

"Looks like your source was right," he said, frustration making his voice sound rougher than he intended. "You must have it on you somewhere-"

"Where?" Lois cried, and Clark winced at the misery in her voice. "I've searched everywhere." As if to prove a point she shook out her coat, her body, and her hair. As Clark kept looking down, something that looked like sand sprinkled on the rooftop around Lois. Focusing, he tried to look closer but was surprised when he couldn't see anything with his x-ray vision…

"Oh," Lois remarked in surprise, looking at the gritty substance around her feet. "I was stuck in the lab and caught up in a windstorm. There was some sort of sand they were working with…" Her voice trailed off as her wide eyes met Clark's own. "Oh."

Her look of understanding was followed an expression of pure torture. "But it looked like sand," she protested. "It wasn't green," she urged, pointing to the stuff at her feet.

At the wretched look on her face, Clark couldn't help it. He moved closer, only to stop and groan when the blood started boiling in his veins.

"Don't," Lois told him with a little sob, putting up her hand and quickly moving away, until the color returned to his face. When she could see him breathing easier, she straightened with determination. Her tear-filled eyes turned resolute. "I'm going to see Emil," she told him. "I'll… I'll be at Star Labs."

She ran to the door, and turned back to face him. "I'll take care of this. It won't last, you'll see." With her lips tightly pressed together he watched her sprint through the door and down the stairs.

_It won't last._

For some reason, the words didn't comfort him. Instead he was frozen, filled with a sense of dread and pain. Lois… his wife… had been infected by Kryptonite. He looked around the roof, remembering another time where he'd lost the ability to touch a loved one. The sting had faded because he and Lana weren't really meant to be, but now…

This was Lois... His heart tightened in his chest until every breath was an effort. All the strength he'd gained at the Fortress felt depleted. Visions of what happened years ago seemed to blend with what was happening now. Panic filled him...

He couldn't stand on this roof anymore.

With a muffled cry, he launched himself into the air, heading up toward the sun, out of Earth's atmosphere. When he reached the darkness of space he floated there, soaking up the directness of the sun's rays until he was feeling re-energized. He opened his sense wide and listened but he wasn't able to capture the heartbeat he sought.

_I'll take care of this._

At the memory of Lois' words the look in her eyes, Clark cursed himself. Clearly, she blamed herself and, instead of being there for her, he'd taken off on his own.

After all these years, he was still brooding.

Shaking off his feelings of isolation, he flew toward Star Labs. Lois didn't have to take care of the problem alone. They would manage this… together.


	2. Chapter 2 Suffering

_**Two – Suffering**_

_**Star Labs, December 22**_

The spray from the decontamination shower felt even harsher the third time around. Lois wondered if this was what being flayed alive felt like. Pressing her lips together to keep from crying out, she allowed herself to be drenched by the harsh water. Maybe this time it would work.

When the tone sounded and the water shut off she moved to the next chamber where she tried to stay on her feet while she was "blown" dry. Once she was out, she put on the sterile robe provided, wincing as it scraped her sensitive skin, and waited.

Emil was on time, as usual. The smile Lois had plastered to her face faded at the grim expression on his. Without speaking he held up the device in his hand, which looked like a security wand, and waved it over Lois. At the instant blip, tears stung her eyes. Suddenly her skin seemed a lot more painful.

The doctor was shaking his head. "I don't understand," he said. "These particles should all be gone by now." He looked up and, at the expression on Lois' face, nervously adjusted his glasses. "Uhm, they will detach eventually." He squinted in concentration. "Over time - as the hair grows - that seems to be the problem area."

"Should I cut it?" Her hand flew automatically to the long, curly locks as if to protect them. When she realized what she was doing, she let it drop. This was no time for vanity.

Emil was already shaking his head in the negative. "No, it really won't get rid of all of them. They seem to be sticking to the roots." He looked at the wand in his hand. "Although it's hard to say for sure… there are so many and they're so small." Emil cleared his throat. "I do have good news, though…"

"Yeah, what's that?" Lois asked, already moving toward her clothes.

"I've confirmed that these are only basic transmitters, designed to carry general data, like your location, body temperature, pulse and blood pressure-"

"And that's good news, how, exactly?" Lois interrupted, unable to hold back her anger. The thought of Lex tracking her with these little computer chips was not something Lois was happy about.

Emil kept a passive expression on his own face. "It means that they aren't sophisticated enough to transmit voices, conversations or the presence of others…" He paused meaningfully. "Your husband should be able to come home-"

"Oh, really?" Lois questioned, turning her back to Emil again. She snatched up her clothes, the pain, disappointment- everything- starting to get to her. "Should we just ignore the fact that my body is carrying poison?" She marched up to Emil with her clothes clutched in her hands. "How about the fact that I could kill him if I stay too close for too long… should we just forget about that?" Tired and spent from her latest decontamination, she rubbed her forehead. "I would like to just forget it," she mumbled.

When Emil's sympathetic hand touched the sensitive skin of her arm, Lois jumped in reaction. Emil's brows rose as he carefully pulled up her sleeve and studied the reddened patches of skin. "Lois, why didn't you tell me the water was having this effect?" At the concern in his voice she pulled her arm away and lowered the sleeve.

"It's nothing," she told him. "I just want this stuff gone."

Emil lowered his head slightly to catch her eyes. "These transmitters will detach. In the meantime you don't want to make it worse."

Lois snorted.

_How could things get worse_?

"Right," she drawled, moving behind the changing screen to get dressed. "Did anyone tell you that patience is not one of my virtues, doc?"

Emil's voice carried over the barrier. "I may have heard that somewhere," he muttered.

At the remark, Lois couldn't hold back a smile. Like Clark, Emil knew when a sarcastic comment was called for. He really was her favorite doctor… and of course he was one of the only ones who knew what she was hoping for… and how this could affect her plans.

"Emil…" Lois waited until he turned around. "Could this hurt our chances?"

He stopped at the door, taking his time to face her. "I don't know," he said solemnly. He was out the door before she could ask another question.

Lois released the breath she was holding, and waited until the sound of his footsteps faded before pulling on her sweater and sinking onto the nearest chair. She hurt; her body ached all over as if she was the one with the weakness to Kryptonite.

How could she have let this happen?

Absentmindedly she rubbed at her eyes, tired from lack of sleep. She'd spent the night alone at their apartment after Emil discovered that each of the little grains of sand contained a Kryptonite-based transmitter. If someone could hear her, then Superman needed to be as far away as possible. He spent the night at JLA headquarters.

Lois had never felt so alone. Knowing that she was toxic to Clark was demoralizing. She felt defiled and, as if that wasn't bad enough, the bald bastard or one of his employees - maybe even Jodi's husband - was monitoring her. She needed to make sure she got in touch with Jodi today.

Grabbing up her boots, Lois put on each one in turn, her mind daydreaming about little blue eyes and tufts of dark hair. It was always the same. Maybe she was crazy given her complicated life with Clark but she wanted this… and now it had to be pushed to the backburner again. In fact, her exposure to Kryptonite could destroy everything she'd been secretly hoping for, and that thought terrified her.

Lois stood up and put on her coat. Grabbing her purse, she put it on her shoulder and gasped a little when it rubbed the sensitive skin. She walked to the door, wondering what she would do if she never got what she want-

Her thoughts ended abruptly when she stepped out in the hall and spotted Clark leaning up against the wall. He'd obviously spoken with Emil because he was dressed in his work clothes, trench coat and glasses. When he saw her, he tucked the newspaper he was reading under his arm, and straightened.

It was all Lois could do to keep from running to him. Her hands itched to touch him. More than a simple urge, it was like a need. It was always that way with him. Early in their relationship it sprang from a desire to bring him out of his shell. Something about his stoicism was like a personal challenge to her, and so she punched him playfully whenever she got the chance. Later on, as their friendship progressed, it seemed normal to progress to hugs and handshakes. Then, on that first date, she'd held his hand in the elevator and she'd felt that spark…

It was torture to simply stand and stare.

Clark moved toward her with his hands in his pockets. "Emil told me that the microchips couldn't pick up me or our conversations." His steps slowed as he got closer. "I thought it was time for me to come home." When he was within four feet, he stopped and looked at her expectantly.

She nodded, afraid to speak, her mind turning to all those times he'd calmed her with just a hug or the touch of his hand on her arm.

She wanted that now.

Clark- being Clark- must have picked up on her vibe because he took a step forward and winced. A light sheen of sweat broke out across his brow. He stopped and remained steady, smiling a little. "It's getting better."

"Always the optimist," Lois remarked, feeling her own lips curling upward.

He shrugged and tried to remain nonchalant. His wife deserved it, especially after he'd had to abandon her last night. "You said it yourself," he reminded her. "This won't last."

Hazel eyes grew shuttered and Clark held back a sigh with difficulty. If things were normal, he'd simply pull her to his chest until she told him what was wrong. That was impossible now. Since he couldn't he looked her over and noticed the reddening of her skin. "Are you all right?"

She responded with a narrow-eyed look. "Did you really just ask me that?"

"Okay… stupid question," he acknowledged. "It's just that your skin-"

At her shrug, Clark felt his frustration increase. "Emil told me these tiny transmitters of Lex's will dislodge themselves eventually… you don't need to push it, Lo."

Her eyes flashed right before she turned on her heel to stomp down the hall. Clark fell into step next to her, wondering what he'd said wrong now.

_So much for doing this together._

Rather than saying anything, he waited, knowing the silence would eventually get to her.

After a few steps, it did. She stopped and turned on him. "Look, Clark, I know those…" Lois paused and looked up and down the hallway, lowering her voice. "… genes of yours carry loads of patience and self-control, but you should know by now that mine don't. Thanks to these little transmitters, Lex Luthor knows where I am and that my blood pressure is spiraling as we speak." She took a deep breath. "I hate that… I hate that I messed up and that he's monitoring my movements because of it." Her voice lowered. "And I hate that I'm like poison to you, and I want this gone." She started to take an involuntary step forward but then stepped away. "I want to get back to where we were. I want to work on…"

As her voice trailed away, Clark could hear the sudden quiver in it, and it took every ounce of his self-control to keep from reaching out to her. One hand seemed to shift toward her of its own accord before he forced himself to lower it.

"Want to work on…?" he questioned haltingly.

Lois shook her head sadly and turned on her heel again.

After a few steps, she came to a sudden halt and this time Clark was forced to take a step back. "So, is Perry plaguing you to come in?" She asked.

Clark stuttered a little at the change in topic. After all this time, her ability to shake off her vulnerability still astounded him. "Uhm… if by 'plaguing' you're asking whether he's called me twenty times in the last hour, then the answer is yes," he responded with a little smile, which widened when she smirked back.

He'd missed her humor.

"Fine," she told him, turning toward the entrance of the building. "Why don't you go into the office while I work from home today?" Walking a little behind her, he was still able to spot her grimace. "Perry's upset with me, anyway. One of us needs to stay on his good side, and it might as well be you."

"Are you sure?" Clark asked her.

Lois shrugged. "Absolutely," she told him. "We can't both work in the same office, so I'll give in today." She smiled and winked. "You owe me one."

Clark stopped and watched as Lois left the building, pulling her coat collar up against the cold. When she turned to him and waved, he frowned. She would never give up their office so easily, infected or not. He was always the one forced to work at a vacant desk, especially when they disagreed about the best way to pursue a story.

With one last suspicious glance in her direction, he left the building and turned toward the Daily Planet. After his two-week sabbatical, he needed to get back to work. Still, he was worried about Lois. Frustration had a tendency to make her unpredictable.

Clark made a mental note to call her as soon as he got to work, her words from yesterday ringing in his ears.

_I'll take care of this_.

His wife was up to something…

Maybe he'd been hanging around her too long, but his gut was telling him that she was about to get into more trouble.

_**Kent apartment, late afternoon**_

It had been a mistake to work from home.

Lois blinked and realized she'd been looking at the same screen for several minutes. She hadn't typed anything new in all that time. She hadn't typed anything worthwhile for the past hour.

It was too quiet.

She missed the hustle and bustle of the office; she missed Perry's yelling. Her eyes wandered to the leather chair in the living room. She missed her husband_. _He was home and yet he wasn't. His calls throughout the afternoon weren't filling in the empty spaces in her heart.

Everything felt wrong.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, she got up and walked to the kitchen, trying to clear her head. Her stomach growled.

_When was the last time she'd eaten_?

It had obviously been a while.

On the way to the refrigerator, she passed the bedroom door and stopped at the sight of the unmade bed. If Clark really was coming home, the least she could do was make it. She was in the process of smoothing out the fluffy red comforter when her mind wandered to their last morning together.

_As they lay under the covers, Clark's hand moved from where it covered her hand, to her arm. It traveled softly up her arm to her shoulder, leaving goose bumps in its wake. His fingers stilled on her neck and then his thumb started rubbing tenderly along the sensitive area beneath her ear. An involuntary shiver went through her body at his touch. She marveled at the fact that after all this time, he could still do that to her. Slowly, he reached around and pulled her to him, covering her body with his own. At the feel of his large, hard body covering hers a moan escaped her lips…_

Lois' hands stilled at the memory, and she felt her breath catch.

_Oh, the things that man could do with his hands._

Like a child, Lois threw herself on the bed, wanting to scream with frustration. She wanted his touch, and she wanted it now. They'd already been apart for too long. To be separated this way…

The entire, horrible situation seemed magnified without him here.

Suddenly, her mind replayed her conversation with Emil this morning. Every word felt like a knife.

"_These transmitters will detach. In the meantime you don't want to make it worse." _

_How could things get worse_?

"_Emil, could this hurt our chances?"_

In her memory, Emil's face took on a grim visage.

"_I don't know." _

"_I don't know."_

"_I don't know."_

The words repeated in Lois' head until she wanted to scream. Instead, she launched herself from the bed and out to the front door. Pulling on her boots, she snatched up her coat and purse and headed outside. She needed to get out of the apartment and clear her head.

An hour later, Clark was pacing in their office.

Even with all the work he had to make up, he got very little done today. The office just didn't feel right without Lois there.

_It was too quiet for one thing_.

He smirked a little at the thought and hit the speed dial again. For the last hour, he'd been trying unsuccessfully to reach his wife and he was worried.

With the Kryptonite on her Clark couldn't hear her heartbeat. He had no idea if she was taking a walk, doing some Christmas shopping, or just as likely, getting herself into further trouble. He felt blind and he hated it.

Carefully closing his phone- he felt like he could easily crush it right now- he left the office and headed down the hall to the photographers' offices.

"Jimmy," he called when he spotted the young man. "I heard you were with Lois yesterday. Do you know what she was working on?"

"Me?" Jimmy shook his head. "I didn't even know we were working on a story." He waved his arms in exasperation and a couple of photos went flying. Clark bent over to help him pick them up. "I thought we were just covering the press conference, you know?"

Adjusting his glasses Clark nodded and opened his mouth to ask another question. Before he could speak, Jimmy continued.

"Next thing I know, we're headed down some hallway in a restricted area." Jimmy straightened and fixed Clark with an earnest gaze. "I swear if I'd known she was going to get mixed up in some kind of whacky experiment, I would have stopped her, C.K."

Clark handed over the photos he'd collected. "I believe you, Jimmy," he told the young man. "I'm just worried because I haven't been able to reach her lately."

Jimmy looked around. "Yeah, it's a little weird without her here," he commented. "I'm sure she's okay, though," he told Clark with a confident smile. "Ms. Lane can take care of herself."

Absentmindedly, Clark nodded, looking at one of the photos in his hand. "It's 'Lane-Kent,'" he muttered.

"Right," Jimmy said, reaching for the photo.

Clark continued to examine it. "Is this from the press conference yesterday?"

"Sure," Jimmy told him, looking over the top edge to the photo. "Right there is-"

Just then, Perry's voice interrupted. "Olsen! Where are my shots for the business page?"

"Oops, C.K., gotta go," Jimmy said, grabbing the photo before standing up and taking off.

Clark got to his feet more slowly, wondering if he'd seen... what he thought he'd seen. In the crowd of reporters was a man, someone that looked familiar, someone that shouldn't have been there.

_It couldn't be_.

Stomach clenching at the thought, Clark turned and headed back to his office. He clicked on his computer and hit the appropriate search engine. As he was typing in the name, his phone rang.

Quickly, Clark flipped open his phone with one hand while continuing to type with the other.

"Hello." His voice was sharp, impatient.

"Clark." Lois was gasping for breath, his name barely audible through the phone.

Clark stopped the search and gripped the phone tighter. "Lois… Lois, where are you?"

"Clark…"

Her voice faded out. "Lois?"

"Lois!"

_**Kent apartment, same night**_

In the dark, Clark paced the length of the living room floor. It was midnight, but he hadn't bothered to change from his Superman suit into sleepwear. Despite his exhaustion, he wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight.

At the far end of the living room he stopped and listened. Opening his hearing wide, he strained for the sound of Lois' heartbeat in the next room where she slept. At the faint steady rhythm, he breathed a sigh of relief. It was barely discernable, but at least he could still hear her at this distance.

"_Clark!"_

The memory of her choked voice- and the feeling of his own helplessness- caused his fists to clench at his sides in frustration. His fear propelled him to the door of their bedroom.

He had to see her.

The sight of his wife sleeping in their bed calmed the beating of his heart. Releasing a quiet breath, he leaned his shoulder against the jam and simply watched.

At least he could still look at her.

Even so, it was like looking through a glass, his x-ray vision dulled by the presence of the Kryptonite that stubbornly clung to her. The covers hid her t-shirt and flannel pajama bottoms but he knew that's what she was wearing.

She looked beautiful.

More than anything, he wanted to be able to touch her, to crawl into the bed next to her and gather her up in his arms. Watching her wasn't enough. His wife thought that he had the patience of a saint but it was far from the truth.

He _needed_ to touch her.

From the beginning Lois had been 'physical' with him, always punching him or nudging him in the shoulder. In return he felt free to be more open with her, verbally and physically. Something about the way she invaded his space made him feel accessible, like part of the world instead of apart from it.

Still, he hadn't been prepared for the freedom he felt when he decided to share everything with her. Memories of that night still echoed in his mind.

"_We'll just have to trust that we'll always be there for each other… when times get tough," Lois' voice was soft and her movements unsure. After all they'd been through together Clark couldn't believe she was acting so tentative._

_For once… he'd never felt more confident. _

_Walking over to his desk in the barn, he pulled his journal from the drawer and turned back to face her. "Which is why I want you to have this." _

_Quietly, Lois opened the leather-bound book and took a look. Her eyes rose to meet his. "The unabridged user's guide to all things Kryptonian?" Her look was skeptical._

_Clark smiled at her expression. "It may fill in a few blanks." At her return smile, he moved forward and placed his hand along the side of her face, curling his fingers into her soft hair. Her expression immediately softened and he marveled at the way she responded to his touch._

"_I want you to know me completely," he told her seriously. "With no secrets." He studied each of her eyes in turn, letting her know he meant the words. "'Cause you're the one. You always will be."_

_Her answering smile was like a siren's song. He couldn't resist and within seconds was kissing her…_

Later that night, he'd poured out everything- frustrations, dreams, fears, trials, and triumphs- and finally touched her the way he'd wanted to for a long time. It was incredibly freeing. After that, he'd never stopped wanting her.

Not being able to touch her enhanced his sense of isolation from the world. Words didn't seem to be good enough, especially after the attack today. Because of the Kryptonite, he'd been forced to stand three feet away and ask if she was okay while others helped. He hated feeling so powerless.

So, he'd gone out later and searched for the man he thought he'd seen in the photo, actually visited him in prison, which opened some old wounds and aggravated the new ones. He'd pushed and probed, but he didn't have any answers as to why Lois was infected. After that he'd restlessly patrolled the city until there was nothing left to do.

Standing here now he couldn't believe that he'd left her alone… again.

_Everything he did seemed wrong._

On the bed, Lois moaned and rolled to her side. His hungry eyes traveled down the length of her to the curve of her hip. When his body immediately hardened in response, he pushed away from the door exasperated by his lack of self-control.

Returning to living room, Clark spun out of his suit and into his sleep pants. He tried to settle on the couch but he couldn't. Frustration was keeping him awake. He belonged in his bed with Lois.

It wasn't long before he was restlessly pacing around the living room.

In the meantime, alone in the king-sized bed, Lois tossed and turned, her dreams refusing to settle, and she relived events from earlier that afternoon.

_Walking aimlessly around the mall, she sent a text to Jodi on a whim. Could her source help her get rid of the Kryptonite? How much had she known about it?_

_Stopping, she checked her messages – four from Clark and two from Chloe. Clark was worried about her. Chloe was worried about Christmas. _

_Christmas… as usual, Lois was behind. A store window caught her attention… the Shark's jersey there would be perfect for Chloe's son, Conner. Should she get it?_

_Entering the store, she felt her phone vibrate. It was the text she was waiting for… _

_Immediately she left and headed for the rendezvous. She could hear Blue Christmas playing over the noise of the crowds. When the quiet hallway next to security came into view she felt someone jostle her from behind. _

_There was the feel of wind… it felt familiar. Her gut tightened. _

_Looking around… she couldn't see anyone near. Still, something tugged at her memory… wind… a low chuckle… a feeling of being watched. _

_At the ladies' lounge she opened the door … "Jodi?"_

_It was dark; why were the lights out?_

_A couple steps in… another part of her mind was telling her to run the other way. She held her phone tightly in her hand, just in case. _

_Then… there was a strong wind… It started swirling around her like a storm. It was mixed with sand, irritating her already sensitive skin. _

_She hit the speed dial and opened her mouth to speak. Nothing happened. _

_The air seemed to disappear. Struggling to breathe, Lois fell to her hands and knees, hearing through a fog the familiar voice on the phone._

"_Hello?" _

"_Clark!" She wanted to cry out but she couldn't speak. "Clark…"_

_Everything went dark. _

With a gasp, Lois woke up, her heart and her head pounding. Automatically she reached out for her husband and realized he wasn't in bed with her.

With a sigh, she sat up and rubbed at her face.

That's when she remembered why Clark wasn't with her. Her heart sank and her head felt heavy. She rested it back against the headboard and closed her eyes. In her mind's eye she could see her husband's expression… a mixture of fear, frustration, and guilt.

That's when she heard sounds coming from the living room. Her body tensed and her eyes popped open. She listened closely and realized the sounds were familiar.

Clark was pacing.

Her initial reaction was to throw off her covers and run to him. Normally, when something was bothering him like this she'd wrap her arms around him or just sit snuggled up against him. If he wanted to talk about it, he would. If not, she'd simply be there.

Her legs were halfway off the bed before she remembered why she couldn't run to him, couldn't touch him, couldn't sit close. Her body stilled, but the frustration inside grew until she wanted to scream with it. Her husband was hurting and she couldn't do anything about it.

She needed to touch him.

Cursing under her breath, she glanced at the clock - fifteen minutes past midnight - and spotted her phone. With a tight smile she picked it up and hit the speed dial.

_Maybe there was something she could do._

Sliding back into bed, she rested her head against the headboard… and waited.

When Clark heard the ring tone out in the living room, he didn't bother to check who was calling. He snatched up his phone. "Hello?"

_Any conversation was better than the one in his head_.

"Is there a super hero pacing in our living room?"

At the sound of Lois' voice, Clark turned his head toward the bedroom with a sigh. His x-ray vision picked up only a dim outline of her body where she was sitting. "I'm sorry," he answered in a low voice. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't," Lois told him with a sigh. "Bad dream."

"Really?" Clark asked; Lois didn't often suffer from nightmares. "What about?"

Lois held back another sigh with difficulty. She really didn't want to talk about herself. She'd called to talk with Clark about what was bothering him. "Oh, just about today. I think my mind is trying to tell me something… something I need to remember." Lois paused. "What about you? Couldn't sleep?"

Clark stopped pacing and leaned against the back of the couch. He kept his x-ray vision tuned into his wife. Seeing her outline was better than staring at the walls. "I couldn't hear you today, Lo," he told her, his voice sounding rough and raw in his ears. "I could have lost you and I wouldn't have even known-"

"Hey," Lois interrupted. "You didn't lose me. I called you… and when I woke up you were there."

"A lot of help I was," Clark told her miserably. "I couldn't even pick you up off the floor. I had to watch while paramedics tended you… I couldn't get close enough to hold your hand."

"Well… all that touching stuff is overrated." Lois barely managed to get the words out. She was trying to keep the mood light while inside her body ached for him.

The silence on the other end told her that Clark had picked up on her tone. "Overrated, huh?" His pacing started up again.

"Sure," Lois told him. "All the shrinks will tell you that talking is the way to really connect."

Clark's voice was a little lighter when he answered. "Well, I think one of us is better at that form of interaction than the other."

Lois snorted softly. "Maybe you just need to practice."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Clark grunted.

"You know what it means," Lois barked, feeling her temper rise to the surface. Maybe she was too tired for this tonight… suddenly it felt like she was the only one trying. "Look, Clark, I'm trying to deal with the reality of the situation here. You can't be physically close to me but that doesn't mean we can't connect." She felt her heart constrict as a fear of the past came back to haunt her. "Or does it?" Her voice softened with uncertainly.

Clark's sigh was long and drawn out. "Of course not, Lois."

Now that the old fear was out, Lois couldn't seem to push it back down. "Really?" She didn't try to keep the sarcasm from her voice now. "Because it seems to me that I'm doing all the work here."

In response, she could hear Clark's voice getting louder. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

At the hint of temper, Lois couldn't resist pushing his buttons. _Old habits die hard_. She threw off the covers and got to her feet. "At least I'm trying," she yelled, padding toward the door. "You haven't said more than ten words to me since I was infected."

Suddenly, Clark was at the door. "I haven't had a chance." He didn't shout but his voice was raised. "First, it was the transmitters; then you ran off to the mall-"

"Oh, so it's my fault you spent the night answering every distress call in Metropolis?"

At her question, Clark stopped dead in his tracks.

"No," he said, and Lois could see the guilt in his eyes.

The phone lowered from her ear as her anger immediately disappeared. "Smallville," she whispered as something in the air contracted around them.

Clark snapped. In an instant he was across the room, fighting nausea, sweat, and pain to reach his wife. Without blinking he slammed his mouth against hers. At the feel of his lips against hers, his heart swelled with joy and relief… he was finally home. Within seconds, however, the pain became overwhelming. He groaned and stumbled against her.

Lois pushed him away.

"What are you doing?" She demanded, distancing herself, her chest heaving from their kiss. "You could get seriously injured or die…? Clark…"

He watched the rise and fall of her breasts as he tried to pull himself together. It wasn't easy. He wanted to collapse on the floor from both the pain and want. Right now, he couldn't decide what was worse- the agony of the Kryptonite or the complete emptiness he felt when his wife pushed him away.

Finally he was able to meet her eyes but, before he could speak, her expression softened at the fire in his. She raised a shaky hand to her forehead. "I… I miss you, too." She flashed him a tight smile. "I guess after all these years of pushing your buttons I shouldn't be surprised that I've worn down that Kent self-restraint-"

"Lois-"

She held up her hand. "It's okay. I told you I'd get this fixed, and I guess I haven't done a very good job of it so far-"

"Lo-"

"No, Clark, I just…" Lois stopped and seemed to be holding back a sob. "I'm sorry… I'm going to get rid of this stuff once and for all. I'll call Emil tomorrow."

Without giving him time to answer, she ran into the bathroom and slammed the door. Clark stood in the middle of their bedroom in shock. Part of him was still overwhelmed with the feeling of her in his arms; the other part was feeling foolishly undisciplined.

What had happened to his self-control?

Maybe it would be easier if he hadn't already been away for so long.

He shook his head. Who was he kidding? He would never stop wanting to touch his wife. With a sigh, he realized that the simple acknowledgement had released some of his tension. He glanced down at the phone in his hand. Lois was right. Despite everything, he could still talk to her.

"Lois?" When there was no answer, his heart constricted. "Lo?"

She drew in a shaky breath before she answered. "Clark… maybe I should leave. You know, stay somewhere else tonight… I don't… I don't want to hurt you."

"No!" Clark shouted, taking in a deep breath. Being farther away didn't make things easier. His night at JLA headquarters taught him that. "I'm sorry, Lois. This was my fault, not yours-"

Her half-choking sound interrupted him. "How is any of this your fault? I'm the one who got myself infected with Kryptonite…"

"Lois, I know you didn't mean for that to happen."

"But it did, Clark, and now it's my responsibility to keep you healthy and alive…" Lois took a deep breath. "In sickness and in health, remember?"

At her words Clark felt his feet carry him over to the bathroom door, his heart swelling at her words and the memory of their vows. He stopped and rested his hand against the wood, wanting to be as close to his wife as possible. "How about for better or for worse?"

"Oh, I think this definitely falls into the 'for worse' category," Lois said with a half-laugh, half-sob. "When did you turn me into such a sap, Smallville?"

"A sap?" Clark repeated. "No way, you're the strongest woman I know."

"Then why can't a last for two minutes without wanting to touch you?" Her voice was quivering by the end of the question.

This time Clark worked to hold onto to his self-restraint. "Two minutes?" He scoffed, turning around and sliding down to the floor. He stretched his legs out in front of him. "I can't make it for two seconds, wife."

"I guess we're a pretty pathetic pair, huh?"

Taking a deep breath, Clark rested his head back against the door. "Oh, I don't know about that… a lot of couples would be jealous of us… or at least I know a lot of men who would be jealous of me."

"Well, I am pretty spectacular…" Lois' words were filled with her usual snark.

Clark smiled in response, her words giving him hope. If anyone could get rid of this- and fast- it was Lois. "You have no idea, Ms. Lane-Kent…" he agreed and, for the first time, he could see ahead to a time when the Kryptonite would be gone from her system.

"For better or worse," he reminded her. "However long it takes, I'll wait."


	3. Chapter 3 Sacrificing

_**Three – Sacrificing**_

_**Metropolis, December 23**_

Lois breezed into the café where she was meeting Clark for lunch and stood in the back of the line. With one hand she brushed the snow off the shoulders of her coat, while holding the phone with the other.

She was feeling better and stronger today even without a lot of sleep. She'd stayed up late talking to Clark on the phone about everything… and nothing… until the wee hours of the morning.

His words helped renew her determination but also convinced her that she needed to do more to keep her husband feeling "connected" to her while she waited for the Kryptonite to disappear. Clark told her that he felt like he "hadn't really come home yet," so she'd decided to put some sort of "welcome home" plan into effect.

Lunch was phase two.

Impatiently she looked around the restaurant with the phone to her ear. The Main Street Grill was crowded.

"Wait," Chloe was commenting on the other end. "So you've both decided to work at the office. What exactly are the logistics of that?"

"I'm working at an empty desk outside the door…" Impatiently, Lois rose up on her tiptoes to look for the tallest man in the room.

_No sign of Clark_.

On the other end of the phone, Chloe's voice was tinged with shock. "I'm sorry, did you say _you're _sitting at the empty desk in the hall. That's way outside standard protocol."

"What does that mean?" Lois placed a hand over her other ear to drown out the din of the restaurant. "What 'standard protocol'?"

"Oh, come on, Lois. Whenever you and Clark fight about a story- or just fight in general- he's the one who ends up with the empty desk outside the office."

"Well, he was gone a long time this time," Lois responded with a frown as she turned to watch for Clark. "I wanted to welcome him home."

"Oh, since you can't do _that_ according to protocol either?"

"Okay, now what are you talking about?" Lois asked absentmindedly, eyes on the entrance.

"You know what I mean," Suddenly, Lois could hear Conner in the background and Chloe's muffled voice. "No, you cannot open those presents early, young man."

Lois smiled to herself. Conner clearly had a good measure of Sullivan/Lane in him.

When Chloe's voice came back on the line, it was a little exasperated. "I'm sorry, where were we?"

"Standard protocol," Lois repeated, moving up in line.

"Oh, yeah," Chloe paused for a moment as if choosing her words carefully. "Well, I mean like when you welcomed Clark home _on top of the Daily Planet_?"

Lois felt herself warm at the memory of a particularly heated homecoming. Her answer was a little breathless. "Yeah, okay, so we're usually a physical couple-"

Chloe snorted loudly over the phone. "That's like saying Bruce Wayne often has money."

At her cousin's teasing, Lois bristled. "Oh, and how about you and Oliver?" She commented. Her question was greeted with silence and she chuckled. "Yeah, I heard about that charity gala a year or so back where you guys, uhm, in a coat closet." Lois moved up one more space in line and waited. "What was that all about?" With a little smile, she waited to see if Chloe would take the bait.

Her cousin changed the subject instead. "So, how's the treatment going?"

"I got nowhere with Emil," Lois responded, double-checking to make sure no one in line was listening. "He said my skin was too _sensitive." _At the words, Lois couldn't resist rolling her eyes.

"I'm sorry," her cousin said sympathetically. "I know how much you must want to get rid of this… contamination. The separation can't be helping you get what you want."

Lois stopped in surprise, feeling her throat tighten.

_Crap; she didn't want to go there._

The guy from behind bumped into her and apologized. Blinking at the heat in the back of her eyes, Lois moved up to the front of the line and held up two fingers for the young girl who was greeting.

"I'm here if you need anything," Chloe added.

"Yeah, well," Lois choked out as she followed the hostess through the dining room. "I'm almost at the table so I've got to go-"

"Lois-" Chloe started apologetically.

"Talk soon, Chlo," Lois cut her off, folding the phone as she took a seat.

Why did Chloe have to bring that up now? Her cousin was the only one - other than Emil - who knew about her desire to have a baby with Clark. She hadn't even mentioned her dream to her husband, certain that he would blame himself if it didn't happen.

She sighed and took a sip of water.

Now wasn't the time to be thinking about a baby. There were more pressing things to take care of. She needed to get rid of the Kryptonite; she needed to welcome her husband home properly; and she needed to get her life back. Last night felt like it was a step in the right direction. Despite what Chloe said, there were other ways of _connecting_, and Lois was going to make sure she tried all of them.

She needed to if they were going to survive this separation.

Looking around for her husband, she sighed. Waiting for Clark was nothing new. He must be out on a save. Leave it to Superman's "schedule" to mess with her plans. She smiled a little to herself while looking over the menu. At least this kind of separation was something she was used to.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?"

The sound of the familiar, haughty voice made Lois cringe. Looking up she plastered a tight smile on her face. "Actually, it will be soon."

"Of course," Lex Luthor remarked with a polite smile that didn't exactly reach his eyes. "I just stopped by to make sure you were all right after your little 'accident' yesterday."

She searched each of his eyes in turn. Did the bald billionaire know more than he was letting on? "Little accident?" Lois repeated, deliberately staying away from the topic of her condition. "I think it was more than that, and you know it."

She watched as he raised one of his eyebrows in surprise. "I don't know what you're implying, Ms. Lane, but when a wayward reporter ends up in one of our locked labs…" Luthor slid off his overcoat and handed it to the man behind him. "I don't see how the results can be called anything but accidental, do you?"

Silently, Lois cursed the man fifteen different ways. She couldn't respond now without revealing her source and her true purpose for being in the lab and, from the smug expression on Luthor's face, he knew it.

"It's 'Lane-Kent," she corrected instead.

"Of course," he responded politely, the smile reaching his eyes for the first time. "I'm just glad that you appear no worse for wear," he added, placing his hand lightly on her arm.

The urge to pull her arm away was strong but Lois resisted. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. Instead, she studied his gaze carefully, so carefully that she missed the sight of her husband stumbling through the crowd. It was only when he almost stepped on Luthor's foot that she realized he was there.

"Clark," she remarked with a happy smile, watching out of the corner of her eye as Lex tried to dance out of her husband's way.

Haphazardly, Clark adjusted his glasses with one hand while reaching out with the other towards Luthor. The billionaire took a step back in confusion.

"Lex," Clark greeted the man informally, having decided early on to acknowledge their old friendship since nothing intrigued the billionaire more than secrets.

Reluctantly the bald man held out his own hand, clearly perplexed by the bumbling reporter who had evidently been his friend at one time. "Clark," he muttered. "I was just making sure your wife is healthy after yesterday's incident."

Clark nodded appreciatively. "Thanks, Lex. That means a lot." His gaze fixed on Lois and she found herself blushing at the look in her husband's eyes. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we were hoping to have a quiet lunch together." While he was talking, Clark's eyes never left his wife's.

Lex inclined his head briefly, his own green eyes darting between the two with fascination. "Of course," he muttered politely. "Enjoy your lunch," he said, turning a raised brow to Lois. "Ms. Lane," he acknowledged before walking away.

Lois wanted to correct Lex while laughing at the look on his face - he was one of the many who didn't understand what she saw in her mild-mannered husband - but she was too enthralled by the look in Clark's eyes.

Slowly, he took off his coat and sat down across from her, the warmth of his gaze holding her captive. "Are you all right?"

She nodded and glanced away, feeling the blush on her cheeks. Why was her husband the only one who could do that? As a distraction, she leaned in and reached for the water, but drew back immediately when Clark hissed in pain.

Her eyes darted up but he was already scooting his chair away nonchalantly.

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," Lois whispered.

Clark smiled ruefully. "It's fine," he said. "If you can handle Lex, I can handle lunch."

At his tone, Lois studied her husband.

_Was that a hint of jealousy in his voice_?

"I'm not sure how well I 'handled' Lex," Lois responded. "He was obviously trying to find out what I was doing in the lab. I didn't tell him anything…"

Clark narrowed his eyes as he looked across the crowded dining room toward Superman's nemesis. "He may not actually know anything this time," he told her, thinking about the face in the photo yesterday. "I'm not sure he's to blame for your attack."

"Then why are you glaring daggers in his direction?"

Clark's face reddened slightly. "He was touching you."

Her heart beat double-time in response. For once, she didn't know what to say.

"So, this is my welcome home lunch," he changed the subject, smiling apologetically. Since he couldn't get too close to her, he continued to sit back in his chair ignoring the menu. "What's good here?"

_**JLA headquarters, late afternoon**_

Clark took a deep breath before entering the lab to try to clear the frustration that was gnawing at his insides.

_Lois' welcome home plan was going to be the death of him_.

First she'd given up their office today. He'd been grateful until he realized that like yesterday the space just wasn't the same without her in it. To top it off, the small office was filled with her scent. The smell of her perfume alone was acting like an aphrodisiac.

In addition, it was killing him to have her so close and not be able to touch her. It wasn't just about wanting her, although that was part of it. It was a matter of not being able to touch her in any way, either by rubbing her arm or leaning over her shoulder to read the latest story, putting his hand to the small of her back as they walked. There a million different ways he loved to make physical contact with his wife…

Second was lunch at the café. That was its own brand of torture. Seeing Lex with his hand on Lois' arm sent a primitive shockwave through him. From across the room, Clark's thoughts screamed "Mine!" It was only the welcoming look in his wife's eyes that distracted him enough to save Lex's Italian loafers.

Clark opened the door and walked in. He knew it was important to Lois that things remain as _normal _as possible. He'd gathered as much from their conversation last night when she'd told him that "nothing felt right." So, he'd gone along with her plans even when having her so close was killing him.

It felt like the early stages of their relationship all over again. "Let's take our time," he'd told her years ago. Back then, that was what they needed. Clark wanted to show her that she meant more to him than that. Of course, he hadn't really known what he was missing.

_Now he knew._

At the thought came of vision of Lois beneath him, hair tousled and eyes sparkling. Clark almost moaned out loud. He managed to hold it in at the sight of Oliver and Emil studying a small black device about the size of a flash drive.

"Is that it?" Clark asked gruffly.

At his tone, Emil immediately turned the device over. "This receiver is tuned to the Kryptonite transmitters attached to Lois." The doctor adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat. "J'onn is still working on tracing the signal to the original receiver. It will take some time," he told Clark. "It isn't at a fixed location."

"Is that how Lois was found and attacked yesterday?" Oliver asked. "By a receiver?"

Clark's lips pressed together at the memory. "I don't know. She was supposed to meet her source. The woman could have tipped off someone or…"

"Could have been threatened or harmed for the information." Oliver finished soberly.

Clark nodded, moving the small device in the direction of the Daily Planet until the light grew steady. Something in him eased. At least if he couldn't hear Lois he'd have some idea of where she was. Being unable to keep track of her heartbeat was as bad as not being able to touch her.

"The original receiver's not at Lexcorp?" Oliver asked suspiciously.

Emil shook his head. "Doesn't look like it," he answered.

"Do we know how Lex even got a hold of the green stuff?

At Oliver's question, Clark looked up from the device in his hand. "I've been looking into it, but so far I haven't been able to find anything that links Kryptonite to Lexcorp."

Oliver looked curious. "Mind if I take a look?"

"Go ahead," Clark told him. "I'm following up on another possibility so I'd appreciate the help."

On his way out, Oliver clasped his friend's shoulder. "If you need anything else, Boy Scout…"

Clark's return smile felt tight on his face. "Thanks, Oliver. I appreciate it, but I really don't feel much like a boy scout right now."

Oliver opened his mouth to speak but closed it swiftly after studying Clark's face. Instead he simply patted his friend on the arm before heading out the door. Clark was glad that he hadn't made any cracks for once. The man normally loved to tease them about taking so long to get married. Evidently he knew better than to make a joke about what was going on right now.

After Oliver was gone, Emil stepped closer and lowered his voice. "Lois asked me if she could get into the decontamination shower again today, Clark." His voice grew exasperated. "Look, I know she's anxious to get rid of the Kryptonite so that you two can keep trying for a child, but I don't know how much more her skin can take."

At the word "child" Clark felt the breath leave his body.

_Lois wanted a child_?

Why hadn't she said anything? Immediately memories of her daydreaming for the past few months came to mind - is that what she was dreaming about?

They'd talked about it, of course, but only in the context of whether or not they could have one. Before they got married Clark had made sure she understood the risks. In response, his wife had been very unconcerned, emphasizing that she was a "career woman" who was "terrible with kids." Of course, she'd always loved Conner but as she pointed out she loved even more "being able to give him back at the end of the day."

She never said anything about changing her mind.

Thoughts in turmoil, Clark stood frozen until Emil brought him out of it by snapping his fingers. "Clark," he repeated.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Her skin, Clark," Emil told him with a touch of exasperation. "Try to get her to wait for the crystals to dislodge themselves. It shouldn't take long and it would really be better for her right now."

Still feeling a bit dazed, Clark nodded.

Emil patted him on the shoulder. "Thanks, I appreciate the help."

Again, Clark could only nod.

It wasn't until the doctor was at the door that Clark managed to push his thoughts to the background, one pressing question coming to mind.

"Emil," he asked anxiously. "Could the Kryptonite hurt our chances?"

The doctor turned and shrugged. "I don't know Clark." He paused for a minute before leaving. "Like I told your wife, I don't even know what your chances are."

The man of steel stood paralyzed after Emil left, knees knocking and thoughts churning.

He was shocked, angry, scared, proud, and honored, all at once. The part of him that was angry his wife hadn't shared her dreams with him was small. He understood Lois' mind. She wouldn't want him to feel guilty if things didn't work out. Lois would think she was protecting him.

Still, he didn't want her to be afraid of sharing her dreams… all of them. Every day he felt honored that she'd chosen him and now she wanted his child…

He felt like he could fly.

Of course, he was also terrified. No one had any idea what could happen. The risk was high. Even if their DNA were compatible there was no guarantee that any baby would survive. Lois knew all this and still…

Suddenly Clark's mind turned to all the things his wife had done. Just today, she'd given up their office and taken him to lunch to make him feel like he was truly home. She didn't want him to suffer from their separation.

While she was suffering in ways that he couldn't understand.

Everyone always thought that Superman was the one who sacrificed and, in some ways, he was. But only Clark understood how much Lois gave up on a regular basis to be with him. It was one of the things he loved about her. She made his double life almost easy.

_But this was too much._

Clark pushed aside his own feelings of frustration. Determined now, he walked out of the door and down the hall to find Emil. It was time for him to look for some solutions for their current dilemma. There must be something he could do. Clark would not leave the answers up to Lois any longer.

On the way down the hall, he was stopped suddenly by another vision of Lois. This time she was round with his child. She looked so beautiful and so happy that Clark felt his breath catch.

After a minute the picture faded and Clark continued looking for Emil, a new promise in his heart. If Lois wanted a baby, he'd find a way to give her one.

_**Daily Planet, fifteen minutes later**_

Lois walked by their office and peeked inside. When Clark wasn't there she felt her body relaxing. Quickly, she walked in and retrieved her notes.

Part of her was thankful.

Being around Clark was exhausting. If she got too close, he got sick and if she touched him inadvertently, he got sicker. She hated feeling like a pariah.

Of course Clark didn't look at her like that. His gaze was heated in a way that made her breathless. It was almost like he was trying to charm her while she was trying not to kill him. The whole thing was driving her crazy.

Taking a few minutes, she sat down at her own desk and looked through her notes. That's when she spotted the photo across from her. It must have been something Clark was looking at. Quickly, she glanced around to make sure the coast was clear and scooted over to Clark's desk. Picking up the photo she took a closer look.

It was the press conference at Lexcorp. Junior must have taken it. As she studied the familiar faces, she wondered why Clark was looking at it.

She was trying to get a better look at everyone in the photo when her phone vibrated.

With a frustrated sigh, she put down the picture and checked her caller ID.

_On the roof. ER. Jodi_

Lois didn't think; she headed for the elevator. She hadn't heard from her source since the incident at the mall yesterday. She needed something to explain what had happened at Lexcorp. Maybe Jodi could help. If her source knew anything about those particles, she might know how to get rid of them-

Thoughts churning, Lois stormed through the door and onto the roof, realizing at the last minute that it was cold and snowing. There was absolutely no reason for her source to want to meet outside in this weather.

Shivering a little, she walked around the perimeter to make sure. Rubbing her arms to keep warm, she turned back to the door.

That's when she felt the wind and cringed.

With a powerful burst it blew the metal door closed, and Lois backed away, watching with trepidation as the swirling sand came closer. She thought about running but there was nowhere to go.

She was trapped_._

Clark brushed the snow off the shoulders of his coat in the elevator, his mind full of ideas. He'd talked to Emil and was now weighing the pros and cons of his suggestions. There was a lot to consider.

When the elevator doors opened on the fifth floor, he stepped out and headed for the office, concerned and relieved when Lois wasn't at her desk. He made note of the fact her coat was still hanging on the nearby rack. That meant she must be in the building. Carefully he lowered his glasses and used his x-ray vision. When he failed to pick up her outline anywhere on the floor, he pulled out the receiver in his pocket and turned it on.

The blinking light steadied when he directed it up. His vision picked her up just an outline on the roof. It was too blurry for him to see what she was doing but he didn't like the idea that she was outside without her coat.

Clark was tucking the device back into his pocket and making his way to the elevator when the doors opened and a panicked Jodi Melville got off. She practically ran into him.

"Jodi?" Clark questioned, remembering at the last minute that he wasn't supposed to have seen her for years. "Is that really you?"

"Clark Kent?" She asked. "Oh, Clark. You need to stop him," she grabbed Clark's arm in a death grip. "I'm afraid he's going to hurt her."

"Who?"

"My husband, Tom," she told him, the words rushing out of her. "You have to understand that he's trying to protect Superman," she told him earnestly. "Tom's convinced that he's the light for those of us affected by the meteors."

Clark tried to hang on to his patience as her panicked words sunk in. "Jodi, who's he going to hurt?"

"Oh," she said, shaking her head in confusion. "Lois… Lois Lane. He's convinced that the rumors are true." Her look turned to one of embarrassment. "You know… about her and Superman…"

Clark could only nod. They'd done their best to dispel them but he knew the gossip persisted. As fear replaced the embarrassment on Jodi's face, Clark's gut tightened.

"Jodi, where is your husband?"

She shook her head, her eyes panicked. "I don't know but I'm afraid he's got Lois." That's when Clark saw the receiver in her hand. It was similar to the one in his pocket. "I think he's been tracking her with this."

Clark didn't wait to take the elevator. He immediately headed for the stairs with Jodi on his heels, continuing to chatter nervously. "You know he has powers just like his cousin, Tim… Tim Westcott." Jodi paused and took a deep breath. She obviously wasn't used to the pace. "My Tom changed his name after Tim was convicted of murdering that girl in Smallville… Alicia Baker… you remember, don't you?" Jodi asked him.

Clark could only nod. His heart was beating furiously with fear. Tim's cousin was stalking Lois? What if he was already too late?

He hadn't been able to save Alicia…

By the time they reached the top floor Clark was ready to super speed to the roof but he couldn't with Jodi beside him. He also realized that even if he reached Lois he couldn't touch her in any way.

What was he going to do?

Too scared to weigh the options, Clark took the last set of stairs two and a time and burst through the metal door onto the roof. His wife was lying in a crumpled heap not far away, sand and wind swirling around her.

"Lois!" He cried.

She looked up and the fear in her eyes broke his heart. When he rushed over, no longer concerned with the Kryptonite, she weakly held up her hand and whispered, "No."

Clark ignored his wife. He couldn't let her be hurt. For a second he considered using his heat vision on the swirling sand even if it compromised his identity, but then he felt a hand on his arm.

"Wait," Jodi panted, her eyes pleading with Clark. As he stood there with his heart in his throat, Jodi walked into the swirling sand, letting it wash over her.

"Tom!" She cried.

The sand stopped and Clark ran over to Lois, falling to his knees next to her. He wanted to wring the neck of the man materializing to his side but he fought the urge in favor of making sure his wife was okay.

He reached out a hand to her, ignoring the pain, the sweat, and the feeling that his blood was boiling. He didn't care. "Lois?"

Her eyes fluttered open and a small smile graced her lips. "Smallville?" He touched his fingers to hers and heard her sigh.

"Are you all right?" He asked.

She tangled her fingers tightly with his. "I am now."

_**Kent apartment, Christmas Eve**_

Using his x-ray vision, Clark took a little more time than usual to scan the area around their apartment and make sure no one was watching. The rumors of Lois and Superman would probably always linger, but he didn't want a repeat of yesterday.

_He'd almost lost his wife... again._

And no matter how many times she faced trouble, Clark could never escape the feeling of helplessness_._ Yesterday had been a close call.

At least the culprit was in custody and ready to talk about Lexcorp's involvement with meteor rock. Lois was thrilled and had already forgiven Tom in exchange for an exclusive interview. In the meantime Clark and Lois both spent the morning writing up their stories and getting them to Perry for the early holiday edition.

As for the afternoon, Clark had taken advantage of the down time to put his in special plans in place. As far as Clark was concerned, Christmas was coming early this year.

When he was sure the coast was clear, he landed on the patio and stepped inside, looking around with satisfaction. Everything was ready. The small tree was in the corner and decorated. Candles sat on the mantle. The fire was prepped and ready to be lit.

Tonight was the night.

Clark had already given his apologies to their friends and to his mother, letting them know that he and Lois were planning a quiet evening at home this Christmas Eve.

Everyone seemed very understanding.

With a smile of anticipation, Clark turned on some music. Using his heat vision, he lit the fire and the candles before heading to the bathroom. Once inside he spun out of his suit and nervously reached for the lead-enclosed packet of blue powder that Emil had given him.

"_Are you sure you wouldn't just rather use a ring?" Emil asked Clark earlier in the evening._

_Clark shook his head. "No, I want to make sure it works. This is the only way I know to really curb the effects of the green Kryptonite."_

_Emil looked skeptical. "You know how Lois feels about all forms of this stuff." Nervously he adjusted his glasses and smiled as Clark did the same. "She may not be all that happy about your 'cure'."_

"_Well, it will just be up to me to make her happy," Clark said, the heat rising in his cheeks when he realized how the words sounded._

_The doctor laughed. "That it will," he remarked. "Just remember… I warned you." Emil walked to the door of the examination room before turning back to Clark with a serious expression. "Seriously, Clark, don't let that stuff linger," he advised. "We aren't sure how it affects you long term."_

His memory of the doctor's words made him pause. For a second Clark seriously reconsidered his plan. A part of him wondered if he'd lost his mind. If he used this stuff tonight, Lois might very well kill him. She hated all forms of Kryptonite. Besides, Emil was right, he really didn't know a lot about the long-term effects of the blue.

What he was about to do was definitely one of the craziest things he'd ever done.

He paused and looked in the mirror. Haunted blue eyes looked back at him. Crazy or not, he needed to do this. He was tired of this separation from his wife. He needed to touch her.

_Lois was worth it._

Besides, Christmas was the time for sacrifice. Lois had been willing to rub her skin raw trying to get rid of the green. For Clark rubbing on a little blue powder on to counter the effects didn't seem any worse.

With a shrug of his shoulders, he opened the pouch and immediately felt the difference in his senses. Sounds faded, edges blurred, and colors blended a little. Strangely, his sense of touch intensified and his skin tingled at the idea of what was to come. According to Emil, his heightened sense of touch probably had something to do with his loss of invulnerability.

He was in the process of pouring a little powder into his hand when he heard her.

"Clark?"

The contents of the pouch filled his hand.

"Crap," he muttered. He hadn't counted on losing his super hearing. Now his wife had crept up on him. What was he going to do?

"Smallville?" Lois' voice sounded closer.

"I'm in the bathroom, Lois," he called to her. "I'll be out in a minute."

"Is everything okay?" She asked.

Clark could only mutter to himself as he started to rub the Kryptonite on his body. "I hope so." He winced as he watched the powder change the color of his arms. "I hope so," he muttered to himself, rubbing more onto his legs.

After a few minutes he looked back into the mirror and winced. This had better work or he was a dead man.

In the bedroom, Lois stopped at the dresser and looked nervously into the mirror. Had she made the right decision? When she was out with Chloe this afternoon, it seemed like the right thing to do.

Her eyes went to the scarf on her head. Maybe her actions had been a little hasty. She thought about the drastic decision she'd made that evening.

"_Are you sure you want to do this?" Chloe's voice was understanding and skeptical at the same time._

_Lois shook her head from side to side… and then nodded it up and down. "I'm sure," she told her cousin, hearing and hating the uncertainty in her voice._

_Chloe rolled her eyes. "Look, Lois, I've done this a million times… if you don't like it, they'll stop."_

"_But what if it's too late by then," Lois cried, putting a hand to her long locks. "What if Clark hates it?"_

"_Clark loves you," Chloe told her, linking her arm through her cousin's. "He'll love you no matter what your hair style." She tugged a little. "Besides, right now, I don't think he'll care as long as the 'you-know-what' is gone…"_

Lois took off her scarf and cringed. Her hair was shorter than Chloe's, almost as short as Clark's and slicked back the same way. The hairdressers had done their best to style it but, in order to get all the "sand" out, they'd had to cut it extremely short.

At least all the Kryptonite was gone.

Reaching up with a shaky hand, Lois touched the short locks and blinked back a few tears. She knew it was ridiculous but she felt vulnerable and exposed without her long hair.

_Still, Clark was worth it._

At the sound of the bedroom door, she jumped a little. Quickly she put the scarf back on her head. She wasn't ready to show her husband her new hair style yet.

With a deep breath, she turned to face him and stopped in shock. Whatever she was going to say went right out the window.

"Smallville? What have you done?" Lois stared. She couldn't help it. Clark's arms and legs were completely blue.

"Is that what I think it is?" She demanded.

Her husband's expression said it all.

"Blue Kryptonite?" She asked incredulously. "You put on blue Kryptonite?"

Lois couldn't believe that Clark would go this far…

He took a cautious step forward. "It counteracts the effects of the green."

"Yes but it's Kryptonite, Clark, and you don't know what it could do to you…" Lois trailed off when she realized that along with the blue powder, Clark was wearing only a towel.

She swallowed hard and her eyes went wide.

Clark must have noticed because he looked down at his blue legs with a furrow of his brow. "What?" he asked, his tone revealing his uncertainty.

Lois couldn't help it; her mouth twitched. "You look like a Smurf," she chuckled.

At his abashed look, she laughed harder. "I think I got carried away," he said sheepishly, taking another cautious step forward.

She sobered immediately. "Do you… I mean… are you feeling okay?"

Clark nodded, taking another slow step in her direction. A second step and he was standing close enough that she had to tilt her head up to look into his eyes.

They were very blue.

Slowly, tenderly he reached out a hand rested his fingers against the side of her face. Lois fought the urge to purr like a kitten and rub up against him. Her concerns suddenly seemed very far away and she was starting to think that blue was her new favorite color.

When her husband leaned in for a kiss and stopped just inches away, she almost whimpered.

"I'm feeling much better," he whispered.

Lois could only nod as his lips met hers in a slow, sensual kiss. The minute his skin touched hers, she was on fire. By the time he pulled away her legs were weak and she was leaning up against him.

She'd barely caught her breath when she felt his other hand moving softly up her arm to her shoulder. His fingers stilled on her neck and then his thumb started rubbing tenderly along the sensitive area beneath her ear. Her body tingled. An involuntary shiver went through her.

"Clark," she moaned.

His hand continued traveling up her scalp as he leaned in for another kiss. When his fingers touched the scarf and it fell away, he stopped and stared in amazement.

"Lois? What have you done?" Clark stared. He couldn't help it. Lois had cut her beautiful, long hair to get rid of the Kryptonite.

He couldn't believe she'd gone this far…

Then he caught the look in her eyes and felt his heart skip a beat. Behind the hazel was a vulnerable look he'd never seen before. He didn't like it one bit.

So he let his fingers run through the short softness.

"I can't believe you did this… for me," he said wonderingly.

Lois hid her face in his shoulder. "I didn't do this for you," she mumbled. "I did it for us."

Slowly, Clark lifted up her chin and studied her eyes. "You're beautiful," he told her, watching as her eyes softened. He smiled. "I like it."

She punched him lightly in the shoulder. "Yeah," she said. "About as much as I like you blue."

"I'm serious," Clark told her, rubbing a short strand. "You look like one of those Vogue models."

Her eyebrows rose. "And what would you know about runway models?"

"Nothing," he muttered quickly, lowering his lips to that sensitive spot near her ear. "But now I can do this…" he continued. "Without moving your hair out of the way."

"Mmmm," Lois moaned, moving her neck to the side to give him better access. When he pulled away to run kisses up the side of her jaw, the entire situation reminded Lois of their phone conversation just two nights prior.

"I guess we're a pretty pathetic pair, huh?" She touched his blue arms with an exasperated look.

Clark ran his hands through her short locks as he tried to recall his words from the other night. "Oh, I don't know about that… a lot of couples would be jealous of us…" He paused long enough to study her seriously. "Or at least I know a lot of men who would be jealous of me."

When Lois scoffed in response, Clark swung her up in his arms and carried her to the living room. Gently he laid her on the couch in front of the warm fire, his hands reaching for the buttons of her blouse, determined to show her how lucky he felt.

Lois couldn't stop her slow smile… after all her husband was touching her again. "Well, I am pretty spectacular…" she whispered.

"That you are, Ms. Lane-Kent," Clark ran his hands up and down her curves almost reverently. "That you are."

Lois sighed at the feel on Clark's hands on her skin. "Welcome home, Smallville," she told him softly.

Clark didn't respond. He couldn't stop touching her long enough to form the words.

It was more than an hour later that he stopped long enough to whisper, "Merry Christmas, Lo."


	4. Epilogue

_**Epilogue**_

_**December 20, 2019**_

The young woman standing in front of the crowd was different this time. She was still polished and sophisticated, but she was also dark and exotic looking. Lex's tastes had changed. Lois also noticed that the holiday decorations were of the red and green variety this year. The holly and the berries actually did give the building a more festive appearance, Lois thought, or maybe it was just a reflection of her own improved disposition.

"Ladies and gentlemen, if you'll follow me, I'll show you Lexcorp's latest technological breakthrough…"

Behind the woman's words Lois could hear the elevator version of "Jingle Bell Rock." She smiled at the canned Christmas carol. Maybe it was the happier music that made things more festive.

_Although she'd learned to love "Blue Christmas" by the end of last year_.

Her smile turned into a grin at the memory.

As the crowd surged forward, the remainder of the press agent's nicely rehearsed speech was cut short by a baby's cry. Lois turned toward the back of the hallway. She'd recognize those strong lungs anywhere.

"Excuse me," she told Junior, stopping in the middle of the crowd. "I think that's my cue."

Jimmy smiled in response and tried to make room for her to turn around. "Sure, Ms. Lane."

Walking away, Lois could hear Cat's voice in the background. The woman, who was only there to "keep Lois out of trouble" this year, was whispering loudly. "You know, I just don't get her," she told Jimmy. "For her entire pregnancy she called the baby her 'Little Smurf,' for goodness' sakes. Now that the baby's here you'd think she was mother of the year."

Lois had to bite back a laugh as she made her way toward the back of the crowd.

_If she only knew…_

The reporters parted almost magically but this time it wasn't Lois' glare that had them scrambling to get out of the way; instead, it was bumbling father making his way toward the front. When Lois could see the edge of the gathering, she stopped and watched, amused by her husband's acting abilities.

He had the bumbling thing down pat.

"Excuse me," he muttered, adjusting his glasses while trying to keep a hand on the baby carrier. "Pardon me," he told another reporter who was glaring daggers at him.

Lois rolled her eyes. _You'd think they'd never heard a baby before_.

As soon as the pair reached her she leaned down to look at her son. "Hey, there, little guy," she cooed. "What's all the fuss about?"

At the sound of his mother's voice, the baby quieted immediately and started to kick his arms and legs with excitement. She smiled.

"Sorry," Clark muttered. "I just couldn't get him to settle down. I think it's lunch time," he told her sheepishly.

"That's all right," she said, taking Clark's free arm before walking with him to the back of the crowd. "You know I hate these stupid press conferences, anyway."

On their way out through, Lois passed Jack Fields from the Inquisitor. "Hey, Lane," he mumbled. Looking up from the baby, Lois kept the smile on her face. Jack blinked in response to the brilliant smile. "Uh, cute kid," he told her.

"Thanks," she said, her attention immediately diverted when her two-month-old son gurgled. She couldn't resist reaching around Clark to smooth the baby's dark, curly hair. Hazel eyes looked back at her with more focus than most two-month olds were capable of. As always, Lois felt her heart swell at the sight. Little Joseph Sullivan Kent was everything she'd ever dreamed about.

When they were out of the crowd, Lois pulled Clark in the direction of one of the side hallways. "I should probably find somewhere to nurse."

She released his arm long enough to rattle the nearest door handle. As she headed toward the next door, Clark's voice stopped her. "Lois," he warned.

"What?" She turned to face him, innocently batting her eyes, before shifting her focus to the handle on the next door.

After the third door, Clark put a restraining hand on her arm.

Lois looked pointedly at it. "Are you trying to manhandle me, Mr. Kent?"

Clark rolled his eyes and loosened his fingers. Slowly, he slid his hand up and along her neck, rubbing at the place below her ear. His fingers ran through her shoulder-length hair.

Lois felt her eyes grow heavy. She sighed.

"No," he whispered softly. "I'm just trying to handle you."

Lois felt her eyes snap open. She snorted. "Like that's ever going to happen…"

Smiling softly, Clark looked down at the baby who was starting to fuss. "Joseph's hungry. Are you going to deny your baby for the mere possibility of getting something more on Luthor?"

Her eyes automatically followed Clark's and Lois could feel herself softening at the sight of her little boy. She sighed. "Okay… okay," she conceded, keeping her eyes on Joseph. "Let's go get you something to eat, little man," she said. Taking the carrier from Clark, she gestured for him to lead the way but stopped mid-way at the sight of her husband's Cheshire grin.

"What?" she demanded.

His smile didn't dim. "Ah… leverage," he said, turning toward the lobby. "Sweet leverage…"

"Excuse me," Lois said, struggling with the baby carrier as she tried to follow her husband's long strides. "Did you just call our son 'leverage'?"

Clark's pace didn't slow. "Whatever it takes," he told her calmly, pushing his glasses up on his nose.

Lois waited until they were in the lounge off the lobby, and Clark had gotten her a snack from the vending machine, before she answered. "Don't get too comfortable," she said softly.

Clark's eyes looked up from where he was watching Joseph nurse under the blanket.

At her husband's blush, Lois raised her eyebrows knowingly and chuckled. "Like I said, Smallville, don't get too comfortable."

Her husband shifted uncomfortably in the small plastic chair. "What do you mean?"

"Well, since I am sacrificing for our son, so I expect you to pick up the slack-"

His eyes grew wide. "What?" He shook his head. "No; this is my day off and I'm not spending it prowling around Lexcorp."

Lois lowered her voice and leaned forward. "Come on, Clark," she whispered. "Just a _quick_ _look around_… if you know what I mean?"

Clark rested his elbows on his knees and tilted his head forward until his nose was only inches from his wife's. "You do remember what happened last year while you were snooping around, don't you?"

At her husband's proximity, Lois felt her mouth grow dry. Slowly, she licked her lips and watched as her husband's gaze wandered to her mouth. "It wasn't all bad," she whispered seductively. "Without the blue stuff we may never have made Joseph."

Lois continued to watch her husband, feeling her heart rate accelerate as his pupils dilated. "You know," she continued softly. "Joseph will probably fall asleep after this and, if you're really fast, I might be able to extend my lunch hour…"

Before she could finish, her husband was looking around. Before she could blink, he was gone.

With a soft smile, Lois looked down at her son, shifting him easily from one side to the other under the blanket. She could see that his little eyes were already growing heavy. "Ah, leverage…" she whispered.

Her husband may have given her everything she ever wanted but sometimes it was a matter of, as he said, "Whatever it takes."

Lois hummed a little lullaby under her breath.

"Sweet leverage."


End file.
